Glossary of Internet Service Related Terms

Name Server Lookup

One can check which name server their domain is housed by performing a name server lookup. Every ip address is assigned two name servers that will vary depending on where the name is registered.

Nameserver - Name server

A name server, or domain name server, maintains the cross-reference between domain names and their corresponding IP addresses. Name servers are used so that people don’t have to remember long numerical IP addresses.

National Information Infrastructure

The official U.S. government name for the Internet and other computer networks. Commonly known as the Information Superhighway.

Navigation Tools

Navigation tools allow users to find their way around a website or multimedia presentation. They can be hypertext links; clickable images or icons; or image maps. Navigation tools are usually present either at the bottom or top (or both) of each page or screen, and typically allow users to return to the previous page, move forward to the next page, jump to the top of the current page, and return to the home page.

Net surfer

Someone who browses the Internet with no definite destination.

Netiquette

Netiquette is a form of online etiquette -- an informal code of conduct that governs what is generally considered to be the acceptable way for users to interact with one another online.

Netscape

Founded in 1994 by Jim Clark and Mark Andreessen, Netscape developed the first commercially successful web browser, Netscape Navigator. The browser, based on the Mosaic software from the National Center for Supercomputing, helped fuel the explosive growth of the World Wide Web. Netscape is now owned by America Online

Network

A network is two or more computers connected to each other so they can share resources. The Internet is a "network of networks," whereby anyone -- from an individual at a home with a PC to a large corporate multidepartment system -- can freely and easily exchange information

Newbie

Slang for someone who is new to the Internet or a specific aspect of it. Also, "Noob".

Newsgroup

A newsgroup is an electronic discussion group consisting of collections of related postings (also called articles) on a particular topic that are posted to a news server which then distributes them to other participating servers. There are thousands of newsgroups covering a wide range of subjects. You must subscribe to a newsgroup in order to participate in it or to track the discussion on an on-going basis. Unlike a magazine or newspaper subscription, a subscription to a newsgroup is free.

Newsreader

A newsreader is a software program that lets you subscribe to newsgroups, as well as read and post messages to them. A newsreader is like a friendly librarian who keeps track of the articles posted to the newsgroups you like to read, and locates them when you want to read them

NIC - Network Information Center

Network Information Center, or any office that handles information for a network. Domain registrations’, InterNIC is one of the most famous. Domain names were registered through this office before the system was decentralized to a number of private companies.

NIC Handle

When you register a domain with InterNIC, they give you a special ID called a handle. When you register subsequent sites it's a good idea to use the initial NIC handle, or else they'll assign you another one. It only matters when you want to update registration information, it allows you to make changes in one place instead of having to change the registration individually for every domain you have.

Node

A node is an addressable point on a network. A node can connect a computer system, a terminal, or various peripheral devices to the network. Each node on a network has a distinct name. On the Internet, a node is a host computer with a unique domain name and address that has been assigned to it by InterNIC.

NSFNET

Short for National Science Foundation's network, NSFNET began as a series of networks devoted to research and education communication, funded by the U.S. government, that was superseded ARPANET as the backbone of the Internet. It has since been replaced by commercial networks.